


The Way He Smiles

by A_N_Whitmore



Series: Storms and Darkness [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Hospital, M/M, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-03
Updated: 2014-02-03
Packaged: 2018-01-11 02:29:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1167558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_N_Whitmore/pseuds/A_N_Whitmore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A look back on the third time Stiles was in the hospital and Derek stayed overnight during Season 3b.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Way He Smiles

Derek Hale never considered himself to be a person who focused on the way people looked, but if he had to compare things in what he was looking for in his significant other, smiling would be the main quality. He himself was never one to smile much; maybe it had to do with the fact that Laura had always made fun of his teeth. Yet, every time he looked at Stiles Stilinski... It was like the world expanded suddenly in his chest.

The young man somehow always had this bright fucking disposition that Derek wanted to hold in the palm of his hands, like the warmth of the sun radiating through the windows. The smile reached all the way to his eyes, eyes that somehow Derek found himself drawn to more with each passing day. He's known Stiles for four years now and through everything they managed to survive, his smile hasn't diminished.

But sitting here and waiting in the hospital with him and seeing his eyes darting back and forth between Derek and the Neurologist, his smile is hidden behind a dose of strong fear. The Sheriff has stepped out in the hall with Melissa and Derek can hear his quiet sobs.

"Claudia would hate this... What the fuck Melissa? What do I do? That's my boy... That's my baby boy in there... And they... They don't have a fucking clue what's wrong!"

They've started him on Dilantin and Nortriptyline, Derek can smell the medicine wafting off of his scent like an unnatural douse of weed killer on roses. Erica smelled the same before he turned her and he remembers a similar smell from Peter during his coma. It's the stench of hospital chemicals ruining a fine wine. 

The FBI and Scott's pompous Field Agent father dropped the charges of Stiles being a suspect in the ongoing murder investigation but Derek sees the man far too often outside the Stilinski residence and it makes him want to tear the man apart. He seems to have a personal vendetta against the Sheriff and Derek wants to know exactly what it is.

"Hey Sour wolf, mind getting me those ice chips and the sprite? If I've gotta stay up 24 hours, we may as well make it interesting. You ever see X-Men?"

He hands Stiles the requested items and sees a ghost of a smile drift over the boy's bespectacled face. Stiles never wears his glasses if he can help it, but Derek thinks that they fit him well. The Doctor is trying to get Stiles' attention, but Stiles is adamant about ignoring him. He exits the room instead and proceeds to interrupt the Sheriff and Melissa in an undignified and bristly manner.

"We're taking your son off of the meds for now and tomorrow at 8 we'll get an EEG to see if he has another Epileptic pattern. He's doing well Mr. Stilinski, and Epilepsy is a very manageable condition. He shouldn't drive for six months, I'll get you a letter for the DMV. If all goes well and he stays stable on the iv drip after, I don't see the reason to hold him to the end of the week. He'll get a script and I'll see him in two weeks for a follow up."

"What about the memory gaps? What about my son doing things he can't remember? Huh? Can you give me a clue about that Doc?" 

The Sheriff has his hand closed in a fist and Derek can make out Melissa trying to soothe him over the Doctor's left shoulder.

"Memory lapse is common in some seizure types, in the case of your son he has a walking absence type. As I explained to you earlier, people who experience these types of absence seizures can be doing normal everyday activities like making dinner or answering the phone. Depending on the duration, it can last typically 15 seconds to around 30 or more. Seeing as your son seems to be experiencing multiple episodes, it is very possible he could continue writing or talking without being aware." 

"You just fix him, you understand me? I don't want him to feel like he has to walk on egg shells. He's too good and too smart to be cooped up in the hospital like this, he's been here twice this month." 

Derek has never seen Stiles' father become emotional like this, but he can feel the man's tension and sadness when he walks back into the room.

"Hey sport... You got everything you need?"

"Yeah Dad, trust me... The whole Batman comic collection and animated series, I'm totally set. Plus I don't think Derek's ever seen X-Men."

"He knows every line in the trilogy and don't get me started on his comparison of the Wolverine and Rogue comics versus the films. He'll keep you tied up for hours. Listen I have to head out and catch some sleep but you call me if anything happens, I mean anything Hale... You understand me?"

Just as Derek prepares to answer, the nurse comes in to change out the medicine with a straight saline drip.

"Visit hours are over, you'll have to come back tomorrow." She pushes past to get at the iv line but Stiles stops her for a moment.

"Could he stay? I mean... My dad isn't going to be here."

"I'm sorry we have a family only policy."

"He's staying," the Sheriff cuts in with a firm voice.

Stiles looks at his father for a moment and sees the firm authoritative look that he's familiar with when his father is in 'Cop Mode'

The nurse nods and looks at Derek, "You'll have to keep him awake."

Stiles visibly relaxes and eases himself back into the pillows as she changes out the iv, sometimes it was good to have a strong arm on your side.

"Stiles you call if you need anything ok? I'll have my phone on," he says when the nurse leaves and leans over to kiss him gently on the forehead.

"Righto Daddio."

When the Sheriff leaves, Stiles motions for his laptop on the side and pulls up the Amazon web player as soon as it's powered up.

"Hey, you won't be able to see well from the chair, come up here."

Derek startles for a moment before removing his jacket and shoes at Stiles' raised eyebrow, climbing up on the hospital bed he carefully avoids the tangle of wires and the iv and settles stiffly upright with his hands at his sides.

Stiles however is clingy and proceeds to lean into Derek, looking for a comfortable spot to rest his head. Derek looks down and sees those impertinent whiskey brown eyes staring up at him softly and huffs a sigh.

"Budge over a little." Stiles shifts as much as he can and Derek wraps an unsure arm about Stiles' shoulders. This was going to be a new brand of torture for him.... He could feel it.

"So, pack puppy piles are a usual occurrence I take it? You didn't bitch when I asked."

He can feel Stiles' warmth and the boy's voice is reverberating through his chest with a contented sigh.

"Don't get used to it, and no there are no puppy piles happening here."

"Aww, you're so comfy though."

Derek looks down at Stiles and watches as he blanches at his last comment, this was not unusual. Stiles' brain to mouth filter was usually off without his Adderall.

"Shit... I didn't mean that... I.."

"Stiles just shut up and start the movie."

Derek has the urge to scent the boy, to calm him down like his mother used to when he was overwhelmed but he isn't sure how it would be received. Part of Derek knows that he's just trying to be a good friend and care for a wounded member of his Pack but he also knows that it goes deeper than that. He's been attracted to him and annoyed by him all at the same time. It confuses the shit out of him.

"Thanks for staying with me." 

Derek isn't concentrating on the movie, he hasn't understood a single thing since he heard Stiles' heartbeat catch and flutter the moment Derek wrapped an arm around him. He can feel Stiles count his fingers, the thin digit tips moving over his own calloused appendage resting in his lap.

"Derek?"

"Yeah?" 

Stiles looks at him with a mixture of sadness on his face, the look he hates.

"This is a dream isn't it."

Stiles states it, he doesn't ask. It's almost like he's expected this to happen and Derek pauses for a moment and breathes. Reaching over to the laptop he stops the movie and pushes it off to the side.

"Hey, you've counted my fingers right? And yours... What else tells you if you're in the dream?"

"You can't read..."

Derek leans over and picks up the DVD case of Batman: The animated series.

"Does that make sense to you?"

"I've read those a thousand times, I've got them all memorised."

"Fine, then what else would you do to test if you were awake or not?"

"Pinch me, or hit me."

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"See that proves you aren't real, the real Derek wouldn't care if he hurt me."

Stiles picks at the collar of his gown with a frustrated growl and stares at the door.

"How the hell would you know that?"

Derek pokes at Stiles' arm and makes him look back.

"I was a douche to you, okay? I did things that were.... Childish."

With that said Derek pinches Stiles' thigh, watching as the teen yelps and rubs at the bruised area.

"I did that to prove a point, but I won't hurt you anymore. It's not the kind of person I want to be. Plus, Scott's Alpha now. I can focus on other things."

"Like what?" 

"I never went back to school, I was in Masters for Epidemiology. I wanted to work out an immunity for mountain ash and wolves-bane. Now I have the time, so... I can work on that and my personal life."

"Does Derek Hale have a personal life?"

"It depends, there might be a few books to read and places to see, why?"

"That isn't what I meant!" Stiles blushed.

"Then come out and say it."

"Forget it, let's just watch the movie."

Derek didn't move to grab the laptop, instead he gave in to his earlier thoughts and leaned into Stiles, scenting his hair and neck. Watching his eyes flutter shut, Derek heard a stifled laugh and saw a smile drift over the previously stoic face.

"That's not fair, you can't just use the wolfy charms...."

"Is that what I'm doing? Because scenting is perfectly natural when you're part of the pack."

"Yeah..." 

Stiles turns back towards him and he can see a conflict going on within, right beneath the surface of the boy's skin. He isn't sure how to approach what's happening between them, but he'll take whatever Stiles is willing to give.

"Hey, when I get out of here... Do you want to?"

Stiles stops, unsure how to ask, so Derek finishes.

"I'm picking you up on Saturday, you pick the place. Be ready by 7 ok? There now you know I have a personal life."

Stiles sputters, blushing at Derek's gruff date proposal, but he finds himself nodding all the same. He nods in enthusiastic agreement and smiles the smile that Derek loves. For the rest of the night he can't wipe that smile off Stiles' face, even through hours of X-Men DVDs and commentary.

The way he smiles is like warmth radiating through the windows, Derek wants to hold that warmth in his hands.


End file.
